Drive mechanism for washing machines



Dec. 21 1926. 1,611,767

E. D. MISNER DRIVE MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed May 15. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec 21 1926.

- 1,611,767 E. D. MISNER v DRIVE MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed May 15. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ammo, Edfm] Male 72 (r Dec. 21 1926. 1,611,767

E. D. MISNER DRIVE MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed May 15, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Dec. 21 1926.

1,611,767 E. D. MISNER DRIVE MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed May 15, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Dec. 21, 1926.

UNITED; STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR HISNEB, OI DETROIT, MICHIG AN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

UNIVERSAL APPLIANCES ING., OI DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICH- IGAN.

DRIVE MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES.

Appllcation nled Kay 15, 1922. Serial No. 560,964.

The invention relates to washin machines and refers particularly to the dr1ve mechanism therefor. The invention has amongits objects the provision of a washing machine which is efficient in operation, simple in construction, and can be cheaply manufactured; the provision of a framefor the washing machine which encloses thewirmg extending between the electric motor and the control switch; the provision of a clutch includin a driving clutch member and a pair of driven clutch members adapted to be operatively connected thereto independently of each other; the provision of a cam groove in one of the driven clutch members engageable'in by the tub actuating lever; the provision of a shaft adapted to be operatively connected to the wringer rolls and to the second driven clutch. member, 7 this shaft forming the bearing for the driving clutch member and the first-mentioned driven clutch member; and the provision of a housing for the clutch which constitutes a part of the washing machine frame. 1 With these as well as other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel features of construction and combination and arrangements of parts as more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings:

Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views of a washing machine embodying my inventionv Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross section through the clutch mechanism;

Figures 4 and 5 are respectively cross sec- .tions on the line 4-4 and 55 of Figure 3;

Figure 61s a plan view of the clutch mech anism with the upper part of the housing and the mechanism above the upper driven clutch member removed.

1 is the frame of the washing machine, 2 the rockable tub journall'ed at its ends upon the frame, and 3 the wringer rotatable through a horizontal path above the tub. 4 is the electric motor mounted upon the frame near one corner thereof andbelow the tub and adapted to actuate both the tub and wringer through the clutch mechanism within the housing 5.

This mechanism comprises the rotatable driving clutch member 6 and the cooperating axially aligned rotatable upper and lower driven clutch members 7 and 8 respeo' tively for actuating the tub 2 and wringer 3. The driving clutch member 6 has the hub 9 and the rim 10 connected to the hub by the integral spokes 11. Upon the periphery of the rim is the worm gear 12, theteeth of which intermesh with the teeth of the.

worm 13 mounted upon the driving shaft 14 which is coupled to the drive shaft of the electric motor 4. The rim 10 also has in its sides the oppositely disposed annular V- which is eccentric to the axis of rotation of 4 the driven clutch member. 20 is a segmental shoe slidably engaging in the groove and provided with the transverse cylindrical re cess 21. 22 is a pivoted tub actuating lever having the spherical head 23 at its free end fitting in the recess-21 of the shoe, there being suflicient clearance between this spherical head and the base of the cylindrical recess to permit of the necessary longitudinal movement of the head in the recess while the lever is being laterally swung from one end of its travel to the other during the rotation of the upper driven clutch member. This lever. is non-rotatably secured to the pin 24 as by means of the key 25 and .the pin 1s journalled in the side walls of the enlargement 26 upon the upper section of the housin 27. One end of the pin extends outwar 1y beyond one of the side walls and is non-rotatably secured to the lever 28 as by means of the key 29, the free end of this lever being piv-' otally connected to the link 30, the opposite end of the latter being pivotally connected to the reinforcement 31 at one end of the tub 2.

The lower driven clutch member 8 which is preferably connected to the annular V- shaped flange 18 by spokes, has the hub 32. The lower end of this hub has the diametrically opposite recesses 33 for engagement by a transverse pin 34 upon the vertical shaft 35. This shaft extends upwardly through the hub 9 of the driving clutch member 6 and 'also through the hub-36 of the upper driven clutch member 7 both of these ubs being rotatable upon' the shaft. This shaft is journalled at its lower end in the lower section of the housing 27 and near its upper end in'the upper section of the housing 27 and has at its upper end the bifurcations 37 between which extends the tongue 38 of the wrin er driving shaft 39 adapted to be operativel y connected to theWvringer rolls by the usual reverse gearing. To center the lower end of the wringer'driving shaft 39 and the upper end of the shaft 35, there is the axial pin 40 extending upwardly between the bifurcations 37 and engaging in the axial recess 41in the lower end of the shaft 39.

42 is a collar bearing upon the-lower end of the lower section ofthe housing 37 and secured to the shaft 35 near its lower end by the transverse pin 43. 44 is a second collar engageable with the lower end of the hub 9 of the driving clutch member 6 and secured to the shaft 35'by the transverse pin 44'. 45'is a third collar engageable with the upper end of the hub 9 of the driving clutch member and secured to the shaft 35 by the transverse pin 45. 46 is a fourth collar bearing against the upper end of the upper section of the housing 27 and secured to the shaft 35 by the transverse pin 47. These four collars are alike with the exception that the upper or fourth collar46 has the annular groove 48 in its lower face for engagement in by the balls 49 of an anti-friction bearing which also engage in an annular groove 50 in the upper face of the washer 51 surrounding the shaft 35. 52 is a thrust bearing surrounding the shaft 35 and engageable with the upper end of the hub 36 of the upper.

driven clutch member 7, and 53 is a coil spring abutting the washer and the thrust bearing for yieldably forcing the upper driven clutch member 7 into driving engagement with the driving clutch member 6. 54 is a second coil spring surrounding the shaft 35 and-abutting the driving clutch member '6 and the upper driven clutch member 7, this spring being of suflicient strength to raise the upper driven clutch member out of driving engagement with the driving clutch member whenthe downward pressure of the coil spring 53 is relieved; 55 is a third coil spring abutting the collar 42 and the hub 32 of the lower driven clutch member 8 for yieldably forcing the lower driven clutchmember into driving engagement with the driving clutch member.

To relieve the upper driven clutch memher 7 from the downward pressure exerted by the coil spring 53, there is the yoke 56 embracing the thrust bearing 52 and located below its outwardly extending annular flange 57 at its upper end. This yoke is rotatably secured to the vertically extending rod 58 which extends upwardly through the upper section of the housing 2 parallel and soups?- adjacent to the shaft 35and has the cam member'59 securedthereto' as by means of v the transverse pin 60. This cam member has the depending V -shaped cam 61 engageable with the upper end of the boss 62 upon the upper'part of the housin 27, theupper end of this-boss being provi ed with the V- shaped groove 63 which is engageable by the cam 61 topermit of downward movement of the rod 58 and yoke 56 sufficiently to permit of the coil spring 53 exerting its downward pressure upon the thrust bearing 52 and upper driven clutch member 7. However, upon rotation of the rod 58, the cam 61 rides out of the groove 63 and upwardly upon theend of the boss 62 thereby raising the rodand yoke as well as thethrust bearing, and

consequently compressing the coil spring 53. As soonas'this occurs, the coil spring 54 yieldably raises the upper driven clutch member out of driving engagement with the thereof. Also, the wringer driving shaft 39' extends upwardly through this tubular leg so that the latter in addition to forming a part of the frame of-the washing'machine,

ouses part of the drive mechanism.

To rotate the rod 58 which controls the driving of the upper driven clutch member 7, there is the upper rod 66 extending substantially parallel and adjacent to the tubular leg 64 and having at its upper end the handle 67 adjacent to the bearing of the rod upon the frame.

permits of relative longitudinal movement thereof WlllGll is accomplished by-securing The lower endof this rod is non-rotatably secured tothe .rod 58, but

the nut 68 to the lower end of the upper rod and providing this nut with the longitudinally extending slots-69 which are slidably engaged in by the pins 70 extending transversely from the rod 58.

The electric switch 71 for controlling the motor is also located at the same corner of the washing machine and adjacent to the handle 67. The wiring 71 running from this switch to the electric motor passes through the upper horizontal tubular member 72 at one side of the frame and through the vertical tubular leg. 73 forming part of the frame 1 and out through an opening near the lower end of this tubular leg. This tubular leg is at the corner of the frame near which the electric motor is mounted.

.To retainthe segmental shoe 20 within the cam groove 19 so that it cannot move vertically relative to the u per driven clutch member 7 ,I have provi ed the plate 74 secured to the upper face of the upper driven clutch member and extending slightly over the cam-groove to engage the upper edge of the shoe, this plate, however, not interfering with the movement of the spherical head 23 upon the tub actuating lever.

To lubricate the friction surfaces of the diflerent members within the housing 27, the plate 74 is provided with the apertures 75 and the annular flange 17 upon the upper driven clutch member 7 has the vertically extending passageways 76 therethrough. Also, the rim 10 of the driving clutch memher 6 has the vertical passageways 77 extending therethrough between the annular- V-shaped grooves 15 and 16-therein. Furthermore, the base of the shoe 201and that portion of the upper driven clutch member forming the base of the cam groove 19 are apertured at 78 and 79 respectively for the passage of the lubricant. The up er section of the housing 27 has the treaded o ening 80 for permitting of the insertion o the lubricant mto the housin this opening being'normally closed by t e plug 81. To permit of draining .the lubricant out of the housing, I have; rovided the lubricant passageways 82- in t e lower end ofthe lower. section of the housing and opening into the housing beyond the lower collar 42 .and into the bore 83 below the lower end of .the shaft 35. This bore is normally closed: by' the plug 81.

What"I claim as my invention is: 1. In a drive mechanism for washing machines, the combination with a rotatable driving clutch member, of a cooperatin rotatable driven clutch member, a pivoted ever having a cam engagement with said' driven clutch member, a second rotatable driven clutch member cooperating with said drive ing clutch member, and a shaft extending.

through said first-mentioned driven clutch member and said driving clutch member and secured to said second mentioned driven clutch member.

2. In a drive mechanism for washing 'ma chines, the combination withla frame for a washing machine includinga verticall extending leg, of a rotatable' driving clutch exte'ndin in said clutch member, and a shaft connected to said driven clutch member and extending upwardly within said vertically extending leg. 7

3. In a drive mechanism for washing machines, the combination with the frame for a washing machine including a vertically tubular member, of a rotatable driving 0 utch member, a cooperating rotatable driven clutch member, a member actuated from said driven clutch member, and a housing for inclosin' said clutch members, carrying said vertica 1y extending tubular member. 1

4. In a drive mechanism for washing machines, the combination with a rotatable driving clutch member, of a cooperating rotatable driven clutch member havin an eccentric groove a segmental shoe sli ably engaging in said groove and provided with a transverse recess, and a pivoted lever hav ing a spherical headat one end thereof gaging in said recess.

' 5. In a drive mechanism for washing machines, the combination with a rotatable driving clutch member, of a cooperating rotatable driven clutch member having a cam' gr-oovefa shoe slidably engaging in said V groove, a lever'connected to said shoe, and means for retaining said shoe in said groove.

6. In adrive mechanism for washing ma, chines, the combination with a rotatable driving clutch member, of a cooperating rotatable driven clutch member having'an eccentric groove, a segmental shoe slidabl engaging in said groove and provided wit a transverse recess, a pivoted lever. having a spherical head at one end thereof engagin said recess, and means upon said driven clutch member for maintaining said shoe inen agement with said groove.

- 7. In a rive mechanism, the combination with a rotatable driving clutch member, of a cooperating rotatable driven clutch memher having a cam groove, a shoe slidably 'engaging'said groove, a lever connected to said shoe and amember secured to the driven clutcli m Intestnnony a EDGAR D. MIS R.

whereof I aflix my si attire,

too ember for retaining said-shoe 

